History

R obins traces its history to June 14, 1941, when Macon civic leaders—with the help of U.S. Rep. Carl Vinson—influenced the U.S. War Department to construct an Army Air Corps logistics, supply and maintenance depot in Houston County. The site was adjacent to Wellston, a small town of 47 families located some 15 miles south of Macon.

The defense buildup preceding World War II was under way, and the Middle Georgia area was chosen primarily because it had flat land for an airfield and an abundance of artesian water. These were important points to consider in 1941 when emphasis was on speed of construction.

Ground was officially broken Nov. 9, 1941, by the first depot commander, Col. Charles E. "Steve" Thomas, and leading members of the Macon business and political communities.

In January 1942, the installation was officially named Robins Field in honor of Brig. Gen. Augustine Warner Robins, a native of Virginia and one of the Army Air Corps' first general staff officers. Considered the "Father of Modern Air Force Logistics," the general eventually became chief of the Materiel Division of the Army Air Corps, which later became the present Air Force Materiel Command.

Original construction was completed officially in April 1942, with the completion of the command section—what is today Building 220. In a show of local support, Macon-area leaders celebrated the official dedication of the depot and base the day after Easter, April 26, 1943. It was an early example of the close, positive base/community relationship that has become a lasting and proud Robins tradition.

On March 14, 1942, the air depot received its first official name—Wellston Air Depot. Thomas, in an effort to honor his friend and mentor General Robins, acted to rename the depot, as well. To do so, under Army Air Corps regulations, he had to convince Wellston city fathers to rename the town. They did so willingly on Sept. 1, 1942, and on Oct. 14, 1942, the depot became the Warner Robins Army Air Depot.

Since 1942, the depot has undergone a number of name changes: Warner Robins Air Depot Control Area Command in 1943; Warner Robins Air Service Command in 1943; Warner Robins Air Technical Service Command in 1944; and Warner Robins Air Materiel Area in 1946. It received its current name—the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center—on April 1, 1974. The installation remained Robins Field until Feb. 16, 1948, when it was renamed Robins Air Force Base after the Air Force became a separate service.

The decades following World War II were a time of challenge and change for the base. During the Korean War, Robins workers, reduced in number by postwar cuts to 3,900, swiftly and heroically retooled and fitted hundreds of mothballed B-29s which played a key role in saving the Republic of South Korea from Communist aggression.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the base played an important part in the Southeast Asia "Pipeline," which supplied vital materiel to U.S. troops fighting in Vietnam.

The changing requirements of a "jet age" Air Force added a new dimension to the logistics challenge. This led to the development of Robins as an avionics center and huge, sprawling complex of diverse missions supporting the U.S. Air Force worldwide.

That support was called upon once again in 1990 to 1991 during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Middle East. C-141 aircraft managed by Robins were the backbone of the airlift to Saudi Arabia. C-130s managed by the center provided valuable transport capabilities for the allied forces. Workers surged parts needed to keep aircraft flying and accelerated the maintenance and repair of aircraft vital to the war effort. Another Robins responsibility, the F-15 Eagle, proved its superiority during repeated air strikes over the Persian Gulf.

In 1999, Robins' proud tradition of keeping Air Force aircraft flying has played a key role in NATO's Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia. This time, the Robins lineup carried a new player, the C-5 Galaxy, which transported troops and equipment to forward deployment locations in support of allied military operations.

Robins AFB has recorded 68 years of dedicated support to the war fighter. Congratulations on your assignment to the heart of Middle Georgia.

Augustine Warner Robins
Robins Air Force Base is named for Brig. Gen. Augustine Warner Robins, one of the Army Air Corps' first general staff officers, and commander of the Air Corps' Materiel Division at Wright Field, Ohio, from 1935 to 1939.

In his early days in Washington, Robins became identified with the Supply and Maintenance Division of the Air Corps. At the end of his career, it was his responsibility to organize civilian training activities for the task of training pilots. He is generally recognized as the "Father of Modern Air Force Logistics." Robins was born in Gloucester County, Va., on Sept. 29, 1882. His father, William Todd Robins, was a famous Confederate cavalry colonel. His mother was Sally Nelson Robins, author and genealogist. Both were descendants of illustrious early settlers in the Virginia colony. From these ancestors, the son inherited membership in George Washington's Order of the Cincinnati.

When he was 6, Robins moved with his family from their homestead on the York River in Gloucester County, Virginia, to Richmond. He entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1903, graduating in June 1907 as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. His early assignments included Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and the intrigue of mapping China for the Military Information Division. He received assignments to Fort Robinson, Neb.; as a mathematics instructor at the Military Academy at West Point; to Fort Meade, S.D., where he served strike duty in the Colorado coal mines. He reported to mounted service school at Fort Riley, Kan., but was unable to complete the course because he was sent to Hachita, N.M., to participate in the pursuit of Pancho Villa along the Mexican border during Gen. "Black Jack" Pershing's Punitive Expedition.

Next, he received a transfer to the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, which later became the Air Service, the forefather of the Air Corps. He remained with this branch of the Army for the rest of his service.

During World War I, he briefly served as executive or commanding officer at various posts where he received the flying training that earned him his wings in August 1918. He then became district supervisor of the Northern Air Service with headquarters at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ind. His next assignment was in Washington, D.C., where he served in the Supply Division of the Air Corps.

On Jan. 2, 1921, he received serious facial injuries in an airplane accident, including a broken jaw, which left his face so badly shattered that he was in Walter Reed Hospital for six months. After hospitalization, he was assigned to the Air Corps Supply Depot at Fairfield, Ohio, where he commanded Fairfield Air Depot until July 1928.

He attended a three-month observer's course at Kelly Field, Texas, and one-year at Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field, Va. Then, he was assigned to San Antonio Air Depot at Duncan Field, Texas. On Nov. 4, 1931, he became executive to the chief of the Materiel Division at Wright Field. After attending the Army Industrial College and the Army War College, in January 1935, he achieved the rank of brigadier general and became chief of the Materiel Division-the direct ancestor of the Air Force Materiel Command. During his four years at this post, he performed the important work of directing supply, repair, experimental work and purchases of equipment for the Army Air Corps.

The general played a key role in the Air Corps purchase of its first 13 B-17s. On Oct. 30, 1935, Model 299 from Boeing crashed while in test competition with a B-18 twin engine "Bolo." The crash occurred because the test pilot forgot to unhook flap locks. Robins, Gen. Frank Andrews and Gen. Henry H. Arnold worked hard to get the B-17 despite the accident, and they succeeded in early 1936. Upon completion of his tour at the Materiel Division, Robins moved to Randolph Field as commandant of the Air Corps Training Center on Feb. 24, 1939. It was to be his last assignment. Robins died suddenly and quietly of a heart attack on June 16, 1940. His last contribution to the service was his assistance in the preparation of the expansion plans for the Army Air Forces.

In his letter of condolence, Gen. George C. Marshall, chief of staff, wrote: "Robins' Army career was outstanding for the highly efficient and loyal manner in which he performed every duty. Possessing a broad knowledge of his profession, sound judgment and a fine spirit of cooperation, he rendered many years of valuable service and won the commendation and esteem of those with whom he served."

The composite picture of Robins that emerges from the testimony of those who knew him is that of an able, self confident and congenial man who loved to entertain his friends with tales of his adventures. A charming and elegant man, he was known as "Robby" to his many friends and as "Warner" to his devoted family.

Arnold, chief of the Air Corps, gave a stirring tribute to his classmate and good friend. "On behalf of myself and his brother officers in the Air Corps ... not only do we feel a deep sense of personal loss at the passing of such a fine officer and friend, whose warm enthusiastic personality had endeared him to us all, but to the Corps his death constitutes a distinct and untimely loss. We realize fully his ability and we were counting on this experience and advice, both of which were especially needed at this time in connection with our expansion program. As one of his classmates at West Point, I can well sound the sentiment of those who knew him intimately for so many years. He was every inch a soldier."  read more...

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